Wind wheel



W. H. ROBERTSON.

wmn WHEEL. APPLICATION FILED DEC-13.1919.

Patehted Nov. 7,1922;

A TTORNEY NITED STATES P T \VIL'LIAM HpROIBEBTSON, OF- DAYTON, OHIO.

WIND WHEEL.

Application filed December 13, 1919. Serial No. 344,714.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. Bonner soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n \Vind Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to toys and novelties and more particularly to such novelties as include a rotatable elementcapable of hearing some sort of decoration which during its rapid rotation is attractive to the e e.

One object of the present invention is to provide a wind wheel capable of hearing some sort oi? decorative design which will be continuously rotated in the same direction by the translatory movement of the axis of the wheel in alternate directions.

It is intended that a wind wheel constructed in accordance with the present invention may be used as part of a fan, or a part of some other novelty whichcan be held in the hand and waved back and forth.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of preferred forms of embodiments thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a wind wheel fan constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a side view of a modified form of wind wheel capable of use as a toy or as an ornament for automobiles and the like;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the device shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary edge view of the device shown in Fig. 1, the device not being subjected to an air current;

Figs. 6 and 7 are views similar to Fig. 5 showing the effects produced by air currents when the device is moved in opposite directions; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view of the device shown in Fig. 3, showing the effects produced by air currents when the device is moved in opposite directions.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a staff 20 supports a pin 21 upon which is journalled the hub 22 of a wind wheel disc 23 provided with openings 24. Each opening is substantially covered by a flexible vane 25 secured to the radially extending portion 26 of the disc 23 between adjacent openings 24. These radially extending portions 26 merge into a continuous peripheral portion of the disc 23. These vanes may be constructed of thin flexible material such as papert metal, wood fiber, cloth, leather and the like.

When the disc is stationary or not subjected to air currents, the vanes 25 will occupy the; position shown in Fig. 5. If, in using the device shown in Fig. 1 as a fan, the disc 23 is moved in the direction of arrow 27 (see Fig. 6) the vanes 25 will be bent in a direction away from the staff 20 by the pressure of air in the direct-ion of arrow 28, thereby causing the edge of the disc to move in the direction of arrow 29. V /hen the disc 23 is waved in the opposite direction, that of arrow 30, the vanes 25 will be bent in the opposite direction, as shown in Fig. 7, by the pressure of air in the direction of arrow 31. But this air pressure will cause the disc 23 to move in the same direction as before, that is, in the direction of arrow 29.

Thus, it will be apparent that when the wind-wheel shown in Fig. 1 is used as a fan,

it will rotate continuously in the same direction. Some sort of decoration in various colorsmay be placed upon wheel 23, such as to be attractive to the eye when the wheel rotates. As the decoration forms no part of the present invention, it has been omitted from the drawings.

Referring to Figs. 3, 4 and 8, the stafi 40 carries a pin 41 upon which is journalled a hollow cylinder 42 having its cylindrical side wall 43 provided with openings 44, each of which is substantially covered by a flexible vane 5. I

When the stafi' 40 is moved in the direction of arrow 46, the vanes 45 will be subjected to air pressure in the direction of arrow 47 causing the vanes 45 tooccupy the positions shown in unbroken lines in Fig. 8. The cylinder 42 will be rotated in direction of arrow 48. It the direction of the wind should change or if the staii 40 be moved in the direction of arrow 49, so that the air pressure is in the direction of arrow 50, the vanes 45 will take the positions shown in broken lines in Fig. 8. However, the cylinder 42 will still rotate in the direction of arrow 48.

The windwheel 42 shown in Fig. 3, will rotate continuously in the same direction by the waving of staff 40 in any direction. The wheel 42 will be rotated in the same direction by air currents moving in any direction, said wheel being, of course, supported for rota-. tion in a substantially horizontal plane.

It is to be understood that the term flexible as applied to the vane, includes a hinged vane provided with movement-limiting stops as Well as a vane which is fixed at one end but is made out of flexible material capable of bending a limited amount in either direction according to the wind pre sure.

lVhile the forms of mechanisms herein shown and described constitute preferred forms of embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

Having described my invention, what I claim is as follows": v

1. In a wind-wheel, the combination with a support and wheel having Valle-supporting portions spaced by openings; of a plurality of flexible vanes, rof substantially uniform width, each fixed along one side thereof to a vane-supporting portion and each having its free portion extending toward the fixed portion of the next adjacent vane,whereby move ment of the support in either direction will efi'ect the rotation of the wheel in one direction. I

2. In a wind-wheeh'the combination with a support and a Wheel havin a plurality of spaced openings located at substantially the same distance from the wheel axis, the portions of the wheel between the openings being vane-supporting portions; of a plurality of flexible vanes, each fixed to one of the vane-supporting portions, and each having its free portion extending over one of the openings and toward the fixed portion of the next adjacent vane, whereby movement of the support in either direction will effect the rotation of the wheel in one direction.

3. In a wind. wheel, the combination with a support and a wheel including a plurality of radially extending vane-supporting portions spaced by openings, said portions merging into a continuous peripheralportion of a plurality of flexible vanes of substantially uniform width, each fixed along one side thereof to a vane-supporting portion and each having its tree portion extending toward the fixed portion of the next adjacent vane, whereby movement of the support in either direction will effect rotation of the wheel in one direction.

ii. In a wind wheel, the combination with a support and a disc rotatably mounted thereon, said disc provided with a plurality of openings; of a plurality of flexible vanes, each fixed to the disc and having a free portion extending over an opening and adapted to be flexed toward either side of said disc by the passage of air through said opening.

' 5. In a wind wheel, the combination with a support and a disc rotatably mounted thereon, said disc provided with a plu rality of substantially radially extending openings; of a plurality of flexible vanes, each vane being fixed to the'disc along a substantially radially extending edge of an opening and having its tree portion extending over said opening whereby the vane may be flexed toward either side of said disc by the passage of air through said opening.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM H. ROBERTSON. 

